Nedumangad infant death: Preliminary probe rules out lapse, doc says C-section done due to fetal distress

A preliminary probe report on the stillbirth at the Nedumangad district hospital during C-section has ruled out lapses on the part of the doctor. The Director of Health Services (DHS) has submitted the initial report to the department. Baby of Ranjana Krishnan, a resident of Vithura, was declared dead following delivery on Wednesday. The relatives alleged medical negligence and staged protests, following which Dr Bindu Sundar,  gynaecologist, was transferred by the health department. Later in the day, she was suspended from service.

Sources said that Dr Jayasree M, Chief Consultant and Dr Manoj Thomas, Senior Consultant of Government Women and Children Hospital, Thycaud, evaluated the case sheets and submitted a preliminary report to the DHS, which has been submitted to the Health Department. The initial probe showed that Ranjana,36, was categorised as a high-risk patient owing to her age.

"When she went into labour, the doctors initially opted for a normal delivery. The doctors noticed a sudden fluctuation in the heartbeat of the foetus, following which it was decided to go for a C-section. This was done to prevent rupture of the uterus and save the life of the mother. Initial findings note that the patient's condition was well-monitored and rule out any kind of lapses," officials with the health department said.

Dr Bindu Sundar told Onmanorama that she was attending another case when the call to attend Ranjana came. "She went into spontaneous labour. We kept monitoring her progression. The baby wasn't coming out, and I took a second opinion. We tried vacuum extraction twice, but it failed. Considering the fluctuation in heart rate, we initiated C-section," Bindu said.

Health department officials said that the medical team had tried to revive the baby. "The records show that as soon as fetal distress was observed, C-section was performed immediately. Unfortunately, the baby could not be saved," a source said. Meanwhile, the three-member committee constituted by the state government on Wednesday visited the hospital and began collecting statements from the hospital staff.